Apparatus for physical and/or chemical treatment of materials



May 23, 1961 P. WILLEMS 2,985,389

APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL AND/OR CHEMICAL TREATMENT OF' MATERIALS Filed Aug. 28, 1956 /a lllllml la I f6" l fla fa i el j f5 15a s 135e 2 f5 2 5 l n M I l UD l]y I 'n l I I4 E lgcfd United States APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL AND/ R CHEMICAL TREATMENT OF MATERIALS This invention relates to improvements in and relating to apparatus for physical and/or chemical treatment of materials, in which one or more rotating grinding bodies are pressed against a grinding surface formed, for instance, on a container or casing wall by the action of centrifugal force, a grinding gap being formed between the said grinding body or bodies and the said grinding surface.

In prior art apparatus of this kind, serving for treating liquid materials only, the grinding bodies are mounted or guided in such a way that a wedge-shaped grinding gap is formed of which the width decreases from the forward edge to the rear edge (in the running direction) of the grinding bodies. The liquid material to be treated is fed into the grinding gap in purely axial direction along the Wall of the container or casing by feeding blades situated entirely Outside the chamber or space enclosed by the grinding bodies and entirely separated from this chamber or space. Due to this purely axial feeding into a narrow grinding gap, the treatment of thick and viscous materials or of mixtures containing large size solid particles was impossible because the material was fed to the grinding gap through a narrow ring-shaped inlet opening. No additional disintegratng action such as shearing, bounding, tearing or the like occurred besides the grinding action. Also, due to the exclusively axial ilow of the material into the grinding gap, no centrifugal forces act upon the material, and the material tends, therefore, to evade between the grinding bodies, and special measures have already been proposed for preventing such evading of the material to be treated.

All the forementioned disadvantages are removed by the apparatus according to this invention. This apparatus is broadly characterized in that the grinding body or grinding bodies rotate round a central inlet space from which the material to be treated is fed outwardly to the said grinding gap by centrifugal force. Under the action ofthe centrifugal force the material isl fed into the grinding gap in radial-tangential direction, for instance, in front of the forward face or edge of the grinding bodies or through openings in the grinding bodies, whereby the material is also subjected to shearing and bounding actions and may also be subjected to cavitation, thorough mixing and similar actions in a manner set out later on, so that materials of any desired consistency and composition, such as mixtures containing solid particles, elastic or pasty goods, and the like may be disintegrated in the apparatus according to this invention as finely as desired. The grinding gap is not necessarily wedge-shaped but the lfull grinding face of the grinding bodies may be parallel to the grinding surface. The shearing action of the apparatus may be rendered particularly effective when not only the grinding bodies but also the grinding surface is provided with shearing edges; Such shearing edges may, for instance, be formed by openings of the container wall. fMeasures are taken for admitting the material from the inlet 'space into the grinding gap Vover the full height of the grinding-bodies.

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The attached drawing shows, by way of example, some embodiments of the apparatus according to this invention.

Fig. 1 is an axial section of a machine according to the invention, the section being taken in the plane of the line 1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a section taken in the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Figs. 3aand 3b illustrate passages for the material, provided in parts of the machine of the invention;

Fig. 4 is an axial section of a modified machine, the section being taken in the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a section taken in the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an elevational sectional view of a further modification of the machine of the invention.

In the cylindrical casing 10 of the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, two grinding bodies 11 and 11 of rectangular cross section and having each the shape of a ring segment are loosely inserted into the device and are mounted to rotate in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2 on operation of the apparatus. The grinding bodies 11 and 11 are driven by a driver or impeller 12 iixed on a central shaft 13 driven by means not shown in the drawing. A ring 14 is screwed to the driver 12 to prevent the loosely inserted grinding bodies 11 and 11 from falling out of the casing 10. The driver 12 extends to close proximity of the casing Wall and drives the ring segments 11 and 11 along the inside wall of the casing 10 whereby the grinding bodies 11 and 11 are pressed against the inside wall of the casing 10 under the action of the centrifugal force, thereby effecting a radial pressure and a friction on the inside wall of the casing. Radial openings 15, for instance, in form of bores or slits, pass through the grinding bodies 11 and 11 from the central inlet chamber or space 16 outwardly in radial direction. Similar openings 15 are shown to be provided in the wall of casing 10.

In Figs. 3a and 3b different forrns of such openings are illustrated, for instance, slits 15s, 15ss, and bores 15b, to be provided in the casing 10, and slits 15's, 15ss, and bores 15b to be provided in the grinding bodies 11 and 11. These openings must not necessarily be radially disposed but may have any inclination and may be bent or otherwise shaped and may be distributed over the whole wall of the casing -10 or over a portion of this wall only. The casing may, -for instance, be of a" continuous cylindrical or conical shape without any openings 8. In case the casing has conical shape, it widens towards its open end so that the treated material after having left the grinding bodies 11 and 11' is gradually fed along a spirally shaped path to the open end of the casing wall and is thereby disintegrated by grinding and is finally fed out of the grinding gap formed between the casing wall and the grinding bodies 11 and 11.

If this apparatus is dipped into a pumpable mixture, the :central inlet space 16 and the openings 15 of the grinding bodies 11 and 11 will be filled with the mixture. On operation of the appara-tus, the rotating grinding bodies 11 and 11' will centrifuge the mixture contained in the openings 15 into the gap formed between the grinding bodies 11 and 11 and the casing or outer body 10, in which gap the mixture is disintegrated by grinding. An underpressure is produced in the central space 16 so that the mixture will continuously be sucked into the space 16 from Where it is admitted to the opening, 15 transversally to the axis of rotation and over the full height of thegrinding bodies 11 and 11'. The pumping yaction of the bodies 11 and 11 is assisted by the driver 12.V Through the openings 1S of the wall of the casing 10 the so treated mixture is fed backinto the container (not'shownlin `assesses t which the Ywhole mixture-to be treated is contained and fromwhich -it is againV sucked-into rthe central space 16 in a continuous circulation and is again disintegrated by the grinding action of the apparatus. The edges of the openingslS of the casing 1t) `and the 'edges of the open- Yings X15 of the-bodies u1-1 vand 11', 'by passing'in'front of each other, will subject the mixture to a shearingand Lbounding"disintegrating action. A similar shearing and Ibounding 'action is obtained by cooperation of the driver 12 and the casing wall. Y

Onremoval `ofthe-disk. 14 by loosening'the screw 9, the grinding bodies 11 and 111 may be removed from the casingl'l). With removed grinding bodies 11 and 11 Vthe driver 12'may be used for disintegrating material having particleswhich would not pass through slits 15s, :15ss VAo1 bores 15b of the bodies 11 and 11', whereby the outer "e'dges of the driver 12 passing closely 'by the edges of te openings 15's, 15ss, 15b ,of the casing 10 will cooperate with theedges of such openings for shearing the particles of 'the mixture. Due to the eccentric shape of the-driver 12, an asymmetric circu-lation of the material will occur insidethe casing'sc that Vclogging of the apparatus is eiectively prevented. BigV particles ofthe materialto be treated may enter the apparatus because the whole width of Athe central space 16 is free `andparticles entering in this `manner are' centrifuged or pressed against -the casing wall 'due to the eccentric shape of the'driver 112 'and laretlisintegrated by shearing and grinding. The edges of the driver 12 running along the inside wall of 'the'casing 10 might be sharpened, rounded ofl, orteethed vor might be provided with knife-like projections, hooks or "the like disintegrating instruments. For treating deli- `catematerial, for instance for carefully dissolving fibrous materiaL'the distance of the outer end of the Vdriver 12 `-from theinside wall ofthe easing may be increased. Thereby the shearing action of the driver 12 decreases in favor of a beating'and bounding treatment. For balancing the eccentric driver 12 a balancing mass 17 may be provided (Fig. 2).

In Figs. 4 and 5, an apparatus according to this invention is shown which may also be used as a dipping device and has three drivers vor impellers 12a, 12b, and 12C fixed-"on shaft 13a by means of a hub 18. The drivers 'extend into close proximity of the inside wall ofthe casing 10a, and are adapted each to drive one of three grinding bodies 11a, 11b and 11o loosely inserted into the casing 10a. Slots or gaps 19 are provided in the drivers "12a, 12b and 120, and teeth or pins 20a `fixed on a ring disc "21 of the casing lita enters such slots or gaps 19. Teeth 20b on the grinding bodies 11a, 11b, and'llc within the gaps 19 cooperate with the teeth 20a thereby constittuting a dispensing arrangement of the type disclosed 'forinstance in U.S. PatentNo. 2,619,330, ,having shearingdisintegrating members. Therefore, the material fed inradial-tangential direction from the central spiace Ata has to pass through this dispersing arrangement 20a, 2Gb 'before entering into the grinding gap formed betweenthe casingla and thegrindingbodies 11a, 11b, and llc, the material being disintegrated in the ldispersingarrangement to such a degree that it may pass without diiiculty through the openings of Ithe grinding bodies 11a, 11b, and 11C into the pressing and grinding gap between these bodiesand the casing 10a.

lThegrinding bodies 11a, 11b and llc are shown inV Figsf4'and 5 to be provided with'siits 15a, whereas the casing 10a is` provided with radialboresl'a. These slits` and bores may have any shape, for instance, those shown in Figs. 3a and 3b. The drivers 12a, 12b and 12e will act as a centrifugal pumpland areV tixedly connected to a'disc 14a1'as-are the teeth-20h. lThe drivers 12a, 12b and 12e increase the radial pressure of the material to be treated and 'assist Lin ./a'gcod suction of the material into the central space 16a through the =.inlet opening 122. Out- 'side the-perforated icasing wall 10a, the lapparatus Vmay have :one .'ortmoreV feeding blades byfwhich .the material 4 flowing out of the casing is pumped away. Such feeding blades may for linstance be fixed Yon the 'ring'disc 14a.

Instead of being used in the hanging position shown in Figs. l and 4, the apparatus may as well be used in an opposite position with its driving shaft 13 and 13a, respectively, extending downwardly land with its inlet opening, designated by 22 in Fig. 4, directed upwardly. This latter position is suitable'for treating'materialswhich-are not easily or not atall pumpable or for treating granular, pulverous, highly viscousor pasty material. Thereby the material `may be 'fed into ,the apparatus by its own weight or by suitable feeding devices, if necessary under overpressure, whereby the material may pass through flow 'measuring or other `measuring instruments, preliminary disintegrating devices, inlet tubes and the like.

Fig. 6 shows an apparatus especially designed for use in laboratories. A container 23 is closed at its lower end by a bottom 24 havinga conical wall 25. Imper- Aforated `grinding bodies 11d, 11d outer faces of which has a shape thatV correspondsto the'shape ofthe conical wal1'25`to rotate along the inside'surface of the wall 25. Theloosely arranged grinding bodies 11d, 11d are driven by a motor, not shown, over a shaft 13e and drivers or impellers 12d fixed thereon and engaging between the grindingbodies 11d, 11d. If a material to betreated, designated 26, is filled ,into the container 23, this material is centrifuged by the rotating drivers 12d Vfrom the space enclosed inside the grinding bodies 11d, 11d outwardly in ,radial-tangential direction so that the.materia1 is lfed into the pressing and grinding gap formed between the Vgrinding bodies 11d, 11d andthe wall-25. In the grinding gap, the-material flows upwardly on a spiralshaped path due to the conical shape of the wall 25 and under the action of the centrifugal force and of thefrictional forces andows out of the grinding gap into the upper portion of the container 23 from where it returns in a closed circuit along Vthe shaft 13C down to the bottom for again being driven through the grinding gap. After treating, the contents of -the container 23 is drained 0E through the outlet 27. Another quantity of untreated material is iilled from above. For heating or cooling the material during treatment, the container 23 Yhas a double wall 2S, enclosing a'ow space for the heating or cooling medium. Instead of imperforated grinding bo'dies rperforated grinding bodies, for instance of the type shown in Figs. 1 or 4, may be used as well in this Vembodiment of the grinding apparatus.

With-an apparatus havingagreat number-ofperforations in thecasing and the operating-speed ofy which may be adjusted to a suitable Vvalue, a very intensive decomposition may be obtained. 'This is of Igreat importance for treating manysubstances, such as for decomposing human, vanimal or vegetable tissue in 4the biological, .medical or pharmaceutical research and for the-production of'medicaments, serum and the'like. The apparatus .of this invention allows Ymolecular disintegration or `disintegration toparticlesizes in `the order -of microns. When a mixture containingv two or more components capable ofachemical reactionfistreated inthe apparatus the kchemical reaction ,may take place even when the components .involved have but'little ainity. Fibrousmaterial may alsobe disintegrated in the apparatus .according to this'invention.

If required, the rangeof radial motion of the grinding bodies may be vlimited, for Vinstance,in an vendeavor to avoid excessive .pressure against .the casing AWall or'in order to avoid anexcessive rise in temperature when Vtreatingdelicate materials or also in order to adjust any The ygrinding surface ofthe casing wallY and yof the grinding .bodies may also be lbent in a rplanecontaining the axis f .rotationof the shaft of'the apparatus',`that is,'in an axial plane. 'The ,grinding v1gap mayvvzhave 'the assignee form of a channel or groove. The grinding surfaces of the grinding bodies and/ or of the casing wall cooperating with them may be rough, file-shaped, soft, elastic, or may be equipped with other means than those specied in the foregoing, for instance, with dead holes, slots and the like for increasing the shearing action in the grinding gap. Of course, the apparatus according to this invention may be operated under pressure or in vacuum. For electrically treating material, the apparatus may be connected into an electrical circuit, whereby, for instance, the grinding bodies are connected to the one and the casing wall is connected to the other pole of an electrical circuit.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that other embodiments may be resorted to without departing from the invention. Therefore, the forms of the invention set out above should be considered as illustrative and not as limiting the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus yfor grinding material, a casing having an inner grinding surface of circular cross section, a drive shaft mounted on said casing coaxially to said grinding surface, two freely radially positionable grinding ring segments in said casing, arranged to contact each other with one of their end faces, a drive arm xed to said drive shaft entering between said ring segments to rotate said ring segments for being urged against said grinding surface by centrifugal force, the outer circumferential surface of said ring segments being concentrical to said grinding surface to form together with said grinding surface a gap extending in circumferential direction of said grinding surface, a ring fixed to said drive arm to secure said ring segments against axial displacement, a central inlet space surrounded by said ring segments, open in axial direction of said casing, and a plurality of outlet openings in the wall of said casing, originating in reach of the outer circumferential surface of said ring segments lfrom said grinding surface and discharging at the outer surface of said casing.

2. In an apparatus according to claim l, said ring segments having through holes originating from said central inlet space and discharging in front of said grinding surface.

3. In an apparatus according to claim 1, said casing being bell-shaped.

4. A machine for commuting, mixing and homogenizing materials of any form, including a hollow outer body having an inlet opening at one end, said opening allowing material to be treated to enter a substantially central portion of the hollow space within said outer body, the outer body having an inner face, at least a portion of said inner face being formed as a friction surface, at least a single friction body loosely housed within the outer body so as to ybe permitted to be radially displaced in an outward direction, the friction body having an outer yface formed as a comminuting surface, said comminuting and friction surfaces forming a friction gap of variable width, the width depending on the position of the friction body relative to the outer body and being adapted to be narrowed to actual contact, the friction body being constructed with through channels extending in a generally radial direction from said central portion toward the friction gap, an axially extending driving shaft, at least a single impeller mounted on the shaft and adapted to rotate the friction body, the material to be treated being urged by centrifugal forces, on rotation of the friction Ibody, from said central portion through said through channels into the friction gap, the friction.

body, when rotated, being displaced in said outward direction and caused to cooperate with said friction surface both under pressure and friction, and means to conduct treated material away from the friction gap.

5. In the machine according to claim 4, the hollow outer body having a side wall, said side wall being provided with openings passing therethrough in a generally radial direction.

6. In the machine according to claim 4, said comminuting and friction surfaces being cone-shaped.

7. In the machine according to claim 4, the friction body being provided with through holes, the through holes constituting said through channels.

8. In the machine according to claim 4, a plurality of friction bodies endwise spaced apart.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 321,429 Frisbee July 7, 1885 336,030 Wiswell Feb. 9, 1886 1,774,464 Wood Aug. 26, 1930 1,938,045 Schmidt Dec. 5, 1933 2,221,874 Kuzmann Nov. 19, 1940 2,327,402 Clark Aug. 24, 1943 2,541,221 Edwards Feb. 13, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 15,808 Great Britain of 1905 304,025 Switzerland Mar. 1, 1955 397,655 France May 14, 1909 806,932 Germany June 21, 1951 930,841 Germany July 25, 1955 OTHER REFERENCES Engineering Drawing, French, 1918, pages 74-77, published by McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. 

